Movie Presentation: Essential Arrival

Join local film maker, Arifa Javed, for a special showing of her documentary Essential Arrival.

Immigration is a hot-button political issue in America these days, but, unsurprisingly, that contentious, narrow debate tells only part of the story. This film seeks to broaden the immigration conversation by turning attention to Indian immigrants, often deemed a 'model minority' for their focus on higher education and their rapid collective progression up the economic ladder. Given the unique demands of America's new-age, hi-tech economy going forward, Indian immigrants, who hold disproportionate numbers of degrees in science and technology fields, stand to be among the primary driving forces of American progress in the 21st century. In playing that role, this diverse group follows in a grand tradition that should be familiar to all Americans, evoking cultural pluralism, the immigrant experience and the American Dream.